The Philadelphia Zoo Part One!

Tomorrow I go to the zoo to meet four of my fabulous ladyfriends from EB. This is so very exciting because I love these girls and I tell them things that only a priviliged few are able to hear. I hope it all goes well, I am sure it will. I can't wait to hug them and talk to them, in person! I can't wait to see their little babies and make them laugh and smile. I can't wait to take millions of pictures and I can't wait to make memories with these wonderful women! I will update tomorrow after our visit. Plus, we are getting cheesesteaks from Geno's, there isn't a better way to top off a day!

On another note, Sue got to hear the baby's heartbeat today, I brought the doppler in and we messed around with it while I was on my dinner break. I have listened a few more times lately and baby's heartrate is consistently 168 and I even thought I heard an acceleration in the rate during a period of increased activity. I think the baby was increasingly active because I heard movements over the doppler. I could be wrong, but I think this is a good sign. I remember they were looking for accelerations in heartrate that corresponded to increased activity while I was in the hospital for Amaris.

I also got the test results back from my sequential screen, well at least the first part. Baby has a 1 in 8600 chance for Down's Syndrome and a 1 in 10000 chance of Trisomy 18. The nuchal scan was good too! It was 1.2 mm, which is really good, less than 2.8 at 13 weeks is good so 1.2 is really good!

I also did the drano test. According to the drano God, I am having a girl. I hope it is right because I am really praying for a little girl. I have all those cloths for one, and most of the EB girls in the area have boys so I need to even out the hormones and at least I know she would have a good group of boys to pick from ; )

Drano: Round One - Green

Drano: Round Two - Green

School is good. Clinicals are definitely interesting and I am bored in lecture as always. At least I have a working project for the term paper! Yay, one less thing to worry about. Only 11 more weeks to go until winter break!

I guess all is pretty good now. I am in the second trimester, baby is good, mommy is good (for the most part), glad it is the weekend and if Matt is late tomorrow I am going to kick his ass (and then feel even better)

This is bad...

I have only posted twice in all of September, that is pretty pretty bad. Well I guess I have lots to update on. First, I finally heard the heartbeat, finally. I was looking around and couldn't find it and felt this little twitch and went to that spot. At this spot is where I found that little pesky heartbeat, going at 168 beats per minute!

Then I went to my doctor's appointment on Friday and I got to see the bitty baby and the nuchal scan was good. Baby was jumping all over, twisting and kicking and flipping, it was fabulous. I also got my bloodwork and had my general appointment, I go back the 12th of October.

As for school, everything is good. I passed my skills review and my medication test. I also took my nursing test and will find out how I did on Monday. I also start my first clinical on Tuesday. I am in a community setting at a senior center working with Alzheimer patients, I think it will be a great learning experience.

So I am thinking that's the most of what's going down, I am going to try and make a better effort to update, but it gets hard sometimes with work and school, but I will do it! I know I can!

Edited to add: I am going to post new belly pics soon!

Got a new camera!

Well, it really isn't in my budget, but a good investment for when the baby comes! I will have to post some of my experiment pictures later.

As for me, feeling okay. I had to go and see the Gyn Oncologist on Tuesday. He was very nice and took my feelings into consideration while doing the exam and later talking about our plan of action. They did find a spot on my cervix, but luckily the doctor doesn't feel that it is anything that needs to be biopsied right now and I will go back in a few months to get it checked again. It isn't good that there is something there, but it is a positive note that the doctor doesn't feel it needs to be taken care of immediately. Not great, but not terrible either.

We also have a BBQ to go to on Saturday, I think I might make pasta salad! I love cooking for others and it is a good way to show off my cooking chops! Matt's first football game is on Sunday too, so I will bring the camera and get some action shots! Fun! So looks like our weekends are nice and full for the next couple weeks. I like having "something" to do, it's a nice change from the monotony of work and school.

I also have to get a doctors note. I am nervous that my boss will try and pull something and then manipulate me back onto third shift due to lack of people and I am not going to take it. I am going to ask my doctor to write me a note that I should not be working that shift during pregnancy and luckily he is the kind of doctor that would do that. I think I have legitimate reasons: I am high risk, working rotating shifts can affect the body's natural rhythm and in effect the baby's rhythm, working odd shifts can also affect one's immunity and I need to remain healthy for the baby. I think it is a good enough argument, and frankly I wasn't hired for third shift and I shouldn't be pressured to work it due to my boss' inability to properly staff our department. And that's enough about that.

Lastly, I just want to say that I really, really pray that Jenn and her babies are going to be alright and her dumbass doctors will get their shit together and for once listen to the patient and understand her rights. She deserves these babies, all three of them, and deserves them healthy and I pray that they stay okay in time for her real doctor to come and do everything he can in the interest of his patient and not in the interest of preventing a lawsuit.

Well I guess that is all.

Gotta get back in the swing of things!

Seeing as I didn't post for a week I am definitely falling behind in the blogging department.

I had my first week of school, it was definitely a shock to go back, but totally felt good to do something with my days besides sleep and work. I got all my books too! Total = $660. Number of classes = 2. Ouch. I also paid off my credit cards so I am feeling good! I do have to work tomorrow, on my weekend off, but it is over time and I still have off from work and school on Monday so it isn't too bad! Maybe I can get some homework done tomorrow while I am at work.

I also get to go back on September 14th for my next ultrasound and doctor's appointment so send positive vibes that the nuchal scan will be a-okay! Also wanted to mention that my fetal doppler should be here on Tuesday so I will be able to hear the heartbeat anytime I wanted!

I am also excited because I will be seeing some friends shortly! I am going to lunch with a friend Stephanie on Monday and the crazy thing is that I haven't seen her since highschool! It is gonna be great to catch up! Then on the 22nd we are having our East Coast EB get together at the Philly Zoo and then doing dinner. I can't wait to meet the people behind the posts, I need to remember to bring my camera, it will definitely be worth documenting, maybe even make a great scrapbook. Another event is the 29th, the Southern girls are having a Little Rock get together and I really want to go! It would be $82 for the hotel and about $200 for the plane. I would probably have to put it on my credit card and that is really the only factor holding me back, I did just pay them off and don't want to slip back into the habit of using them. Decisions, decisions...

I didn't update here, but wanted to put this in writing. I had an abnormal pap smear and it scared the shit out of me. My results stated that I had rare cells compatible with low-grade squamous intraepithelia lesions. Now medically, it is probably nothing, but here it through hormone colored glass and I flipped. I think I honestly had an anxiety attack. I cried the whole way home from the hospital and called out because I was so emotionally upset. It scares me because it is not just me involved. If it was just me I think I could handle it, but being pregnant it makes me really uneasy. I don't know if I want to risk allowing them to "dig around down there" My cervix holds in the baby and how effective will that be if they chop off pieces of it to test. I just don't think I would let them, I don't know if it is worth it. Hopefully it is nothing, but I am seeing a Gyn Oncologist on Tuesday so lets keep our fingers crossed that it is nothing.

Well on a more positive note, I have my newest belly picture. Ten weeks and 1 day! (Ignore the mess in the background and the cheesy grin, we will eventually clean that room out for baby)